Federer overwhelms Canas to avenge double Masters defeats

So few players manage to defeat Roger Federer these days that the two victories by Argentina's Guillermo Canas on the US hardcourts last spring jolted everyone, not least the world No1. Even more surprising was that both wins came in the earlier rounds of back-to-back Masters Series events in Indian Wells and Miami - small wonder there were dark mutterings about the fact that Canas had only just returned after being banned for two years in 2005, reduced to 15 months, for failing a drugs test.

Yesterday Federer crushed Canas 6-0, 6-3 to reach the last eight of the Masters Series event here, a win that gave him considerable satisfaction. "It was disappointing to lose to him in the US, particularly in Miami where I had a lot of chances, but I always felt that I was in control this time," he said. Effectively the Argentinian could do nothing on an indoor surface that is not especially fast but nevertheless is perfectly suited to Federer's all-court game.

Paradoxically those two defeats against Canas in California and Florida allowed Federer to rest his body after winning the Australian Open for the third time. "It was big news at the time when I lost but I regrouped and went on to reach the final at Roland Garros and win Wimbledon and the US Open," he noted.

At this time of the year all players are beginning to feel their aches and pains, coupled with the mental strain of a long season. However, Federer has high expectations of winning his fourth Tennis Masters Cup over the past five years next month in Shanghai, and to retain his place as world No1 for a fourth successive year. To help him he has taken on Johan de Beer, Tim Henman's former physio.

Many leading players have fallen by the wayside this week during a tournament that could have been played out of doors, with the city bathed in sun. Federer has been an exception, as has the young Serb and world No3 Novak Djokovic, who yesterday beat Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero, a former world No1, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

"It's been a long year and I'm tired both physically and mentally," said Djokovic, who has been the success story of the past 10 months, reaching his first grand slam final in New York together with the semi-finals of the French Open and Wimbledon, all at the age of 20, one week younger than Andy Murray. He has also won two Masters Series events in Miami and Canada and next year is surely set to challenge the duopoly of Federer and Rafael Nadal.

"Rafa and Roger have a game which is on a different level," said Djokovic who will play Croatia's Mario Ancic, returning after injury and illness, in the quarter-finals today. "I've made incredible progress this year and now have reason to believe that I'm nearly on their level. This is my breakthrough year, although everything depends on whether I can keep it up next year. But I truly believe I can be a big challenger for the No1 place."

The Serb does most things well, and nothing badly, even if it sometimes remains unclear quite why he has risen so rapidly. Perhaps the answer lies in his tremendous self-belief and an iron will.

Jamie Murray, Andy's brother, waited four days to play his opening doubles match and was knocked out in straight sets. He had temporarily teamed up with Mark Knowles of the Bahamas, who with Canada's Daniel Nestor is ranked No2 in the world. But they were beaten 6-4, 7-6 by a Polish duo of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski. Since Murray split up with the American Eric Butorac in the summer he has struggled to find a regular partner and will hope to get matters sorted out for next year. The problem is that all the leading doubles players want to keep their options open until the end of the year because of the money to be made if a partnership gels. Murray is due to team up with Kevin Ullyett of Zimbabwe for next year's opening slam in Australia.